Process

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a notepad and to a process for manufacturing a notepad comprising providing a paper supply; sequentially feeding single pages from said paper supply to a printing and cutting station; printing on images on pad region of each single page; making at least one irregular cut at the edge of the pad region whilst leaving at least one straight edge of the pad region uncut; collating the printed and cut pages in a stack of desired quantity; cutting the collated stack along the at least one uncut straight edge of each pad region; and gluing the collated stack along the resulting cut straight edge.

[0001] The present invention relates to a process for manufacturing anotepad, in particular a paper notepad, comprising at least one area ofirregular shape.

[0002] Notepads for use in offices, homes and in any number ofcommercial and non-commercial environments are well known. Generally,notepads consist of a multiplicity, say 50 or 100 sheets of paper gluedtogether at one edge enabling individual sheets of paper to be easilytorn off from the main body of the notepad. Some notepads are providedwith an adhesive strip along an edge region of each page of the notepad,which adhesive strip retains its adhesive properties after removal fromeach page of the notepad from the main body. The detached page can thenremovably adhere to another surface, such as a desk top or computerscreen.

[0003] Notepads are generally of square or rectangular shape and arefrequently manufactured by a simple process of guillotining a pluralityof paper sheets to the required shape and size and then gluing togetherthe sheets along one edge.

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide a notepad, andprocess for making the same, which has at least one area of irregularshape. It is envisaged that the irregularly shaped area of the notepadmay be used for decorative or design purposes or for displaying acompany logo or trade mark.

[0005] According to the present invention, there is provided process formanufacturing a notepad comprising a multiplicity of sheets of a sheetmaterial, each sheet having at least one straight edge region, alongwhich the individual sheets are glued together, and at least oneirregularly shaped edge region.

[0006] The irregularly shaped edge region may comprise one or morecurved regions, one or more straight regions, or a combination of both.The irregularly shaped edge region may be symmetrical ornon-symmetrical. The irregular shape is such that it would beimpractical or impossible to cut the irregular shape using a guillotine.

[0007] Preferably, the sheet material is paper.

[0008] Preferably, the notepad of the invention comprises at least 20,for example from about 30 to 200, even more preferably from about 50 to100 sheets of the sheet material.

[0009] Preferably, the irregularly shaped edge region of the notepaddefines a shaped area of the notepad which is printed or embossed with adecoration such as a company logo or trade name.

[0010] According to the present invention, there is also provided aprocess for manufacturing a notepad comprising cutting out theirregularly shaped edge region using a cylinder press, in-line cuttingtool, platen press or a ram punch, while leaving the at least onestraight edge uncut during this step; cutting the at least one remainingstraight edge with a guillotine and gluing the sheets together along anystraight edge of the notepad.

[0011] Further provided in accordance with the invention is a processfor manufacturing a notepad comprising:

[0012] providing a paper supply;

[0013] sequentially feeding single pages from said paper supply to aprinting and cutting station;

[0014] printing an image on a pad region of each single page;

[0015] making at least one irregular cut at the edge of the pad regionwhilst leaving at least one straight edge of the pad region uncut;

[0016] collating the printed and cut pages in a stack of desiredquantity;

[0017] cutting the collated stack along the at least one uncut straightedge of the pad region; and

[0018] gluing the collated stack along any resulting cut straight edge.

[0019] It is possible, using the process of the invention, for aplurality of identical pad pages to be cut from a single sheet of paper.For example, the starting material may be paper of size A2, this beingused to provide 8 identical pads of approximate size A5 but with anirregular edge region.

[0020] Accordingly, the invention further provides a process formanufacturing a notepad comprising:

[0021] providing a paper supply;

[0022] sequentially feeding single pages from said paper supply to aprinting and cutting station;

[0023] printing a plurality of identical images at spaced apart padregions of each single page;

[0024] making at least one irregular cut at the edge of each spacedapart pad region whilst leaving at least one straight edge of eachspaced apart pad region uncut;

[0025] collating the printed and cut pages in a stack of desiredquantity;

[0026] cutting the collated stack along the at least one uncut straightedge of each spaced apart pad region; and

[0027] gluing the collated stack along any resulting cut straight edge.

[0028] The printing and cutting steps are preferably performed in thesame station, for example in a Heidelberg Speedmaster 74 (TM) but couldalternatively be separated if desired.

[0029] It is important in the process of the invention not to cut the atleast one straight edge in the cutting station (which may be a cylinderpress, platen press, ram punch or in-line cutting tool, for example)because of the risk otherwise of a multiplicity of cut pad regionsbecoming separated from each other during said operation.

[0030] Preferably, the stacked pages are collated together withbackboards which are correspondingly cut to match the cut pages.However, the backboards need not be printed.

[0031] The process of the invention may comprise an additional step offurther cutting the glued collated stack along one or more further uncutstraight edges if, for example, more than one identical image is printedacross the width of each single page of the paper supply or if the finalpad is to be provided with more than one straight edge. It may also benecessary to finish off the notepad by tearing away any waste paper fromthe region of the irregular cut.

[0032] In one process according to the invention, the initial cuttingstep is performed using a Heidelberg SBS cylinder cutter, followed by aPolar 78 (TM) guillotine and a gluing machine of known construction. TheHeidelberg Speedmaster 74 may be used instead of the Heidelberg SBS.Another alternative cutting machine is the Bobst Autoplaten SP 900-E.

[0033] The gluing step in the process of the invention may provide astraightforward adhesive edge for simply holding individual pages of thenotepad together, which individual pages are torn off when desired.Alternatively each page may be provided with a re-usable adhesive bandenabling a single page to be removed and then stuck to another surface.

[0034] The process and notepad of the invention will now be more fullydescribed with particular reference to the drawings, in which:

[0035]FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of one process according to theinvention;

[0036] FIGS. 2 to 7 show in schematic form the various stages ofmanufacture of one notepad according to the invention;

[0037]FIGS. 8 and 9 and 10 depict alternative forms of notepad accordingto the invention;

[0038] FIGS. 11 to 16 show alternative forms of cutting tool for use inthe process of the invention; and

[0039]FIG. 17 shows a schematic diagram of the Bobst Autoplaten SP 900-Eand its operation.

[0040] Referring to FIG. 1, one process of the invention comprises thesteps of mounting a cutting tool on a mylar grid using double sidedadhesive. The cutting tool is preferably a flexible metal plate, forexample a steel plate, with a raised blade region corresponding to theirregular shape which is required to be cut. The cutting tool may be ofequivalent size to the paper supply to be used or may comprise aplurality of identical blades at spaced apart regions of the sheet. Anumber of cutting tools with different blade configurations are shown inFIGS. 11 to 16. Although FIGS. 11 to 16 show single plates with singleblades, it is also possible to provide a plate with multiple identicalblades to allow a single paper sheet to be cut to a plurality ofindividual pad pages.

[0041] In the next step shown schematically in FIG. 1, the mylar grid,with the cutting tool mounted thereon, is installed in a printing press(for example the Heidelberg Speedmaster 74 (TM) with coating unit). Theinstallation may be made in, for example, the coating unit of the pressand the installed tool held in place by means of suitable clamps.

[0042] In the next stage, blank paper is run through the press and, inthis example, is printed and cut in the same operation. The desiredquantity of sheets are printed, cut and tabbed in the desired amounts.

[0043]FIG. 2 shows a cutaway section of a single page of size A2 fromwhich 16 pads of approximate size A6 ultimately are to be cut. Only onecomer of the page, showing 4 pad pages, are shown in FIG. 2.

[0044] In more detail, FIG. 2 shows a single page 1 from a paper supply(not shown) which has been printed and cut to the stage corresponding tostep 3 in FIG. 1. The cut away section shown in FIG. 2 shows four pads2, 3, 4 and 5. Each pad page has an identical image 6 printed thereon,an image which may correspond to a company name or logo, for example.Each pad is also provided with an irregular cut 7 which has both astraight region 8 and a curved region 9. At least one straight edge ofeach pad remains uncut. In the case of pad 2 the bottom edge and bothright hand and left hand edges remain uncut at this stage.

[0045] Referring back to FIG. 1, backboards (preferably of cardboard)are cut using the same method as outlined above. However, the backboardsremain unprinted. These are then collated together with desiredquantities of cut paper sheets as indicated in step 5 of FIG. 1. Theresulting collated stack is shown in FIG. 3, wherein the bottom uncutstraight edge of each pad is indicated by dotted lines 10.

[0046] In step 6 of FIG. 1 the uncut straight edge is then cut using asuitable guillotine such as a Polar 78 guillotine and the resulting cutstack is shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 4 shows a longer length than thecorresponding FIG. 3.

[0047] The collated stack is then glued along the cut straight edge 11as indicated in step 7 of FIG. 1 and shown in FIG. 5.

[0048] Preparation of the pad is completed by cutting the remainingstraight edges shown by dotted lines 12 in FIG. 6 and by tearing off thewaste portion 13 shown in FIG. 7. The finished product is shown in FIG.7 and alternative embodiments are shown in FIGS. 8, 9 and 10.

[0049]FIG. 17 shows schematically the operation of an alternativecutting station, the Bobst Autoplaten SP 900-E. Individual sheets ofpaper 1 are fed from a reservoir 2 to a platen press 3 before proceedingto a stripper 4 which strips out the rough edges and conveys the paperto a storage zone 5. In one process according to the invention, thepaper fed to the platen press compresses a multiplicity of, say, 50sheets of paper and the platen press is configured to cut out the shapedregion from each individual sheet but to leave at least one edge uncutthrough the stripping zone 4 so that the pads arriving at storagereservoir 5 remain uncut along at least one edge to ensure that thenotepad stays together during the process.

1. A process for manufacturing a notepad comprising providing a papersupply; sequentially feeding single pages from said paper supply to aprinting and cutting station; printing an image on a pad region of eachsingle page; making at least one irregular cut at an edge of the padregion whilst leaving at least one straight edge of the pad regionuncut; collating the printed and cut pages in a stack of desiredquantity; cutting the collated stack along the at least one uncutstraight edge of the pad region; and gluing the collated stack along anyresulting cut straight edge.
 2. A process according to claim 1comprising printing a plurality of identical images at spaced apart padregions of each single page; making at least one irregular cut at anedge of each spaced apart pad region whilst leaving at least onestraight edge of each spaced apart pad region uncut and, aftercollation, cutting the collated stack along the at least one uncutstraight edge of each spaced apart pad region.
 3. A process according toclaim 1 or claim 2 wherein the stacked pages are collated together withbackboards which are correspondingly cut to match the cut pages.
 4. Aprocess according to claim 3 wherein the backboards are not printed. 5.A process according to anyone of claims 1 to 4 comprising the additionalstep of further cutting the glued collated stack along one or morefurther uncut straight edges.
 6. A process according to any one ofclaims 1 to 5 comprising the additional step of tearing away any wastepaper from the region of the regular cut.
 7. A process for manufacturinga notepad comprising a multiplicity of sheets of a sheet material, eachsheet having at least one straight edge region, along with theindividual sheets are glued together, ad at least one non-straightand/or irregularly shaped edge region, the process comprising: a)cutting out the non-straight and/or irregularly shaped edge region usinga tool selected from a cylinder press, a platen press, a ram punch or anin-line cutting tool while leaving the at least one straight edge regionuncut during this set; b) cutting the at least one remaining straightedge region with a guillotine; and c) gluing the sheets together alongany straight edge region of the notepad.
 8. A process according to claim7, wherein the sheet material is paper.
 9. A process according to claim8 wherein the notepad comprises at least 20 sheets of paper.
 10. Aprocess according to claim 9 wherein the notepad comprises from about 30to about 200 sheets of paper.
 11. A process according to claim 10wherein the notepad comprises from about 50 to about 100 sheets ofpaper.
 12. A process according to any one of claims 7 to 11 wherein thenon-straight and/or irregularly shaped edge of the notepad comprises oneor more curved regions.
 13. A process according to any one of claims 7to 12 wherein the notepad is printed or embossed, in the region of thenon-straight and/or irregularly shaped edge, with a decoration such as acompany logo or trade name.